What numbers do you see revealed in the patterns of dots below?

I am color blind, as is about 12 - 20 percent (depending on whose figures you

want to believe) of the white, male population and a tiny fraction of the
female population. ost of these circles are nothing but spots to me. !elow
are the correct answers to what a person with normal color vision would see -
and what I see (and most people with "ed-#reen color blindness). $hen you
see what we can%t see, you may understand why it%s so tough to find the right
so& and why we li'e bright colors, which are often identifiable.
Normal Color Vision Red-Green Color Blind
Left Right Left Right
Top 2( 2) Top 2( *pots
Middle +( (, Middle *pots (,
Bottom , - Bottom *pots *pots
Another interesting color blindness test is below
What colorblindness is:
.olor blindness (color vision deficiency) is a condition in which certain colors cannot be
distinguished, and is most commonly due to an inherited condition. "ed/#reen color blindness is
by far the most common form, about ))0, and causes problems in distinguishing reds and greens.
1nother color deficiency !lue/2ellow also e&ists, but is rare and there is no commonly available
test for it.
3epending on 4ust which figures you believe, color blindness seems to occur in about -0 - 120 of
males of 5uropean origin and about one-half of 10 of females. I did not find any figures for
fre6uency in other races. 7otal color blindness (seeing in only shades of gray) is e&tremely rare.
7here is no treatment for color blindness, nor is it usually the cause of any significant disability.
8owever, it can be very frustrating for individuals affected by it. 7hose who are not color blind
seem to have the misconception that color blindness means that a color blind person sees only in
blac' and white or shades of gray. $hile this sort of condition is possible, it is e&tremely rare.
!eing color blind does 'eep one from performing certain 4obs and ma'es others difficult.
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Lifes minor fr!strations "and occasional dangers# for the color blind:
Weather forecasts - especially the $eather .hannel - where certain colors 4ust can not be
distinguished on their weather maps. 1lso, maps in general because of the color coding on the
legends.
Bi-color and tri-color L$%s (9ight 5mitting 3iodes): Is that glowing indicator light red, yellow,
or green;
Traffic lights, and worst of all, .aution lights: .olor blind people always 'now the position of the
colors on the traffic light - in most states, "ed on top, 2ellow in the center, #reen (or is that blue;)
on the bottom. It isn%t good when we go to a city or state where they put traffic lights hori<ontal - it
ta'es a couple of days to get used to that one= !ut caution lights present an entirely different
problem. In this situation there is only one light> no top or bottom, no right or left, 4ust one light
that is either red or yellow - but which is it;
Getting in the s!n &ith 'o!r girlfriend: *o, you%re out in the boat or on the beach with your
girlfriend and soa'ing up the rays. !ut I can%t tell until far too late if I%m getting red - or if she is. If
I can tell it%s red, by that time it%s fire engine red and a painful sunburn is already present.
Color obser(ation b' others: ?9oo' at those lovely pin' flowers on that shrub?. y reply,
loo'ing at a greenish shrub ?$hat flowers;?
)!rchasing clothing: I%ve got some really neat colors of clothes. @ot everyone appreciates them
li'e I do though> they seem to thin' the colors are strange. I 4ust don%t 'now why=
*ids and cra'ons: .olor vision deficiencies bother affected children from the earliest years. 1t
school, coloring can become a difficulty when one has to ta'e the blue crayon -and not the pin'
one- to color the ocean.
Test strips for hard &ater+ p,+ s&imming pools+ etc-: 1 color blind person is generally unable
to :
o interpret some chemical reactions
o see that litmus paper turns red by acid
o identify a material by the color of its flame such as lead blue or potassium purple
o interpret the chemical testing 'its for swimming pool water, test strips for hard water, soil
or water p8 tests - all of which rely on subtle color differences and a band of similar
colors to compare against.
Cooking and foods:
o $hen coo'ing, red deficient individuals cannot tell whether their piece of meat is raw or
well done. any can not tell the difference between green and ripe tomatoes or between
'etchup and chocolate syrup.
o *ome food can even loo' definitely disgusting to color deficient individuals. Aor
e&ample, people with a green deficiency cannot possibly eat spinach which to them 4ust
loo' li'e cow pat. 7hey can however distinguish some citrus fruits. Branges seem to be
of a brighter yellow than that of lemons.
.re 'o! &earing lipstick/ any color blind people cannot tell whether a woman is wearing
lipstic' or not. ore difficult to handle for some is the inability to ma'e the difference between a
blue-eyed blonde and a green-eyed redhead.
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Clinical information abo!t color blindness:
.ones (color sensitive receptors) containing single visual pigments selective for red, green, and
blue light, are present in the normal human eye. 3isturbances of color vision will occur if the
amount of pigment per cone is reduced or if one or more of the three cone systems are absent.
1lthough defective color vision may be ac6uired as a result of another eye disorder, the vast
ma4ority of color blind cases are hereditary - present at birth. 7he gene for this is carried in the C
chromosome. *ince males have an C-2 pairing and females have C-C, color blindness can occur
much more easily in males and is typically passed to them by their mothers.
.olor blindness is rooted in the chromosomal differences between males and females. Aemales
may be carriers of color blindness, but males are more commonly affected.
.olor blindness is a malfunction of the retina, which converts light energy into electircal energy
that is then transmitted to the brain. 7his conversion is accomplished by two types of
photoreceptor cells in the retina: rods and cones.
7he cones are responsible for encoding color. 5ach cone contains structures or visual pigments
sensitive to one of three wavelengths of light: red, green, and blue. @ormal persons are able to
match all colors of the spectrum by mi&tures of only three fundamental color sensitivities. 8ence,
the huge variety of colors we perceive stems from the cone cells% response to different
compositions of wavelengths of light.
3efects in color vision occur when one of the three cone cell color coding structures fails to
function properly. Bne of the visual pigments may be present and functioning abnormally, or it
may be absent altogether.
Aor practical purposes, all color-deficient individuals have varieties of red or green deficiency.
!lue deficiencies are very rare. .olor deficient patients are not completely red or green blind.
.ompared to persons with normal color vision, they have some trouble differentiating between
certain colors, but the severity of the color deficiency is variable.
.olor blindness is normally diagnosed through clinical testing. (*ee the Ishihara color test - the
one most common test used) 1lthough there is no treatment for color blindness, most color
deficient persons compensate well for their defect and may even discover instances in which they
can discern details and images that would escape normal-sighted persons. 1t one time the D.*.
1rmy found that color blind persons can spot ?camouflage? colors where those with normal color
vision are fooled by it.
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,o& color blindness &orks:
7he human eye sees by light stimulating the retina (a neuro-membrane lining the inside bac' of
the eye). 7he retina is made up of what are called "ods and .ones. 7he rods, located in the
peripheral retina, give us our night vision, but can not distinguish color. .ones, located in the
center of the retina (called the macula), are not much good at night but do let us perceive color
during daylight conditions.
any people thin' anyone labeled as ?colorblind? only sees blac' and white - li'e watching a
blac' and white movie or television. 7his is a big misconception and not true. It is e&tremely rare
to be totally color blind. 7here are many different types and degrees of colorblindness, really they
are ?color deficiencies? since virtually no one is truly blind to all colors.
Eeople with normal cones and color vision are able to see all the different colors and subtle
mi&tures of them by using cones sensitive to one of three wavelength of light - red, green, and
blue.
1 mild color deficiency is present when one or more of the three cones functions ?poorly?. 1 more
severe color deficiency is present when one of the cones does not function at ?all? or is missing.
)rotanomal' (one out of 100 males):
Erotanomaly is referred to as ?red-wea'ness?, an apt description of this form of color deficiency.
1ny redness seen in a color by a normal observer is seen more wea'ly by the protanomalous
viewer, both in terms of its ?coloring power? (saturation, or depth of color) and its brightness. "ed,
orange, yellow, yellow-green, and green, appear somewhat shifted in hue (?hue? is 4ust another
word for ?color?) towards green, and all appear paler than they do to the normal observer. 7he
redness component that a normal observer sees in a violet or lavender color is so wea'ened for the
protanomalous observer that he may fail to detect it, and therefore sees only the blue component.
8ence, to him the color that normals call ?violet? may loo' only li'e another shade of blue.
Dnder poor viewing conditions, such as when driving in da<<ling sunlight or in rainy or foggy
weather, it is easily possible for protanomalous individuals to mista'e a blin'ing red traffic light
from a blin'ing yellow or amber one, or to fail to distinguish a green traffic light from the various
?white? lights in store fronts, signs, and street lights that line our streets. 3o not let them ad4ust the
color on the television, because it will loo' far to redish or violet for the rest of the family
members.
%e!teranomal' (five out of 100 of males):
9et the deuteranomalous person ad4ust your television and he would add more green and subtract
red. 8e is considered ?green wea'?. *imilar to the protanomalous person, he is poor at
discriminating small differences in hues in the red, orange, yellow, green region of the spectrum.
8e ma'es errors in the naming of hues in this region because they appear somewhat shifted
towards red for him - difficulty in distinguishing violet from blue.
Arom a practical stand point though, many protanomalous and deuteranomalous people bree<e
through life with very little difficulty doing tas's that re6uire normal color vision. *ome may not
even be aware that their color perception is in any way different from normal. 7he only problem
they have is passing a color vision test.
%icromas' - can be divided into protanopia and deuteranopia (two out of 100 males):
7hese individuals normally 'now they have a color vision problem and it can effect their lives on
a daily basis. 7hey see no perceptible difference between red, orange, yellow, and green. 1ll these
colors that seem so different to the normal viewer appear to be the same color for this two percent
of the population.
)rotanopia (one out of 100 males):
Aor the protanope, the brightness of red, orange, and yellow is much reduced compared to normal.
7his dimming can be so pronounced that reds may be confused with blac' or dar' gray, and red
traffic lights may appear to be e&tinguished. 7hey may learn to distinguish reds from yellows and
from greens primarily on the basis of their apparent brightness or lightness, not on any perceptible
hue difference. Fiolet, lavender, and purple are indistinguishable from various shades of blue
because their reddish components are so dimmed as to be invisible e.g. Ein' flowers, reflecting
both red light and blue light, may appear 4ust blue to the protanope.
%e!teranopia (one out of 100 males):
7he deuteranope suffers the same hue discrimination problems as the protanope, but without the
abnormal dimming. 7he names red, orange, yellow, and green really mean very little to him aside
from being different names that every one else around him seems to be able to agree on. *imilarly,
violet, lavender, purple, and blue, seem to be too many names to use logically for hues that all
loo' ali'e to him.
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*ome of the information on this page was ta'en from:
1n article by: Diana H. Heath, M.D., a member of the orton Elant medical staff, speciali<ing in
ophthalmology. http://www.<ipmall.com/mpm-art-colorbl.htm
7he webpage written by 7errace 9. $aggoner, B.3., *taff @aval 8ospital
Eensacola http://members.aol.com/nocolorvsn/color2.htm
treatment
while there are no cures for color blindness, there are many possibilities to help
control the annoyance of this disease. one possible treatment for color blindness is to
use specialized glasses that alter the colors that you to see to the colors you should
see. For more information on the company who made these glasses, go here. While
these glasses are for people who have Deuteranamolous, Protanamolous, or
Tritanamolous, people with Achromatopsia also can control the annoyance. Patients
can control glare caused by Achromatopsia by wearing wraparound sunglasses and a
broadbrimmed hat. Also, an eye doctor can prescribe tinted contact lenses that
reduce glare and let patients see more clearly. There are also many other things that
doctors can do to reduce symptoms. !ne, is to use color "lters. The idea of using
"lters as an aid was "rst proposed in #$%& by 'eebec(. 'ome redorange "lters ma(e
it easier to interpret colors or actually to better see contrasts. )ed "lters absorb short
and medium wavelengths of the spectrum, leaving only the longer ones. Another way
to control symptoms is to use what is called the *+hrom lens. The *chrom lens is a
red contact lens worn on the nondominant eye of color de"cient people and which
helps some to better interpret colors or contrasts. The *+hrom lens has proved to
help patients with the ishihara test ,see self test-, but has made it either harder for
the patient to ta(e other tests or the test results remain the same as without the lens.
Therefore, the *+hrom lens may help the patient with everyday hobbies but should
not be used thin(ing they are not color de"cient.
Color blindness
Definition
Color blindness is the word used to describe mild to severe difficulties with identifying
various colors and shades of colors. It is a misleading term because colorblind people
are not blind. Rather, they tend to confuse some colors, and a rare few may not see
colors at all.
Description
Normal color vision requires the use of special cells, called cones, located in the retina
of the eye. There are three types of cones, termed red, blue, and green, which enable
people to see a large spectrum of colors. A defect or deficiency of any of the types of
cones will result in abnormal color vision.
The following are three basic types of color blindness
Red!green color blindness. Red!green color blindness is the most
common deficiency, affecting "# of Caucasian males and $.%# of
females. &eople with red!green color blindness can often distinguish
red or green if they can visually compare the colors. 'or e(ample,
they can pic) out red or green from a pac)age of colored pencils.
*owever, if handed a red pencil, they cannot tell what color the pencil
is.
+lue color blindness. +lue color blindness, which is rare, is an inability
to distinguish both blue and yellow. +lue and yellow are seen as white
or grey. Although as many females as males have this deficiency, it
usually appears in people who have physical disorders, such as liver
disease or diabetes mellitus. *owever, it is not uncommon for young
boys to have blue!green confusion that becomes less pronounced in
adulthood.
Total color blindness. Total color blindness is called achromatopsia.
This very rare hereditary disorder results in vision that is blac), white,
and shades of gray. It affects one person in ,,,$$$ -.!,,,$$$/ in the
0nited 1tates, males and females equally. &eople with achromatopsia
usually have poor visual acuity and e(treme sensitivity to light. Their
vision is significantly impaired and they protect their light2sensitive
eyes by squinting in even ordinary light.
Causes & symptoms
The symptom of color blindness is the long2term inability to distinguish colors or notice
some colors entirely. 3ost cases of color blindness are inherited, affecting males almost
e(clusively.
Color blindness can be acquired by the following
Chronic illness. Illnesses that can lead to color blindness are
Al4heimer5s disease, diabetes, glaucoma, leu)emia, liver diseases,
chronic alcoholism, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis,
&ar)inson5s disease, sic)le cell anemia, and retinitis pigmentosa.
Trauma. Accidents or stro)es that damage the eye can lead to color
blindness.
3edications. 1ome frequently used medications may cause color
blindness. 1ome antibiotics, barbiturates, anti2tubercular drugs, high
blood pressure medications, and a number of medications used to
treat nervous disorders and psychological problems may lead to color
blindness.
Industrial to(ins. 1trong chemicals can cause color vision loss. 1ome
include carbon mono(ide, carbon disulfide, fertili4ers, styrene, and
lead2based chemicals.
Aging. After age 6$, changes occur in people5s capacity to see colors.
Diagnosis
1ome of the tests available to detect color vision in the general public include
American 7ptical!*ardy, Rand, and Ritter -A7!*.R.R./
&seudoisochromatic test. This is the test used most often to detect
color blindness. A person with full color vision loo)ing at a sample
plate from this test would see a number, composed of blobs of one
color, clearly located somewhere in the center of a circle of blobs of
another color. A colorblind person is not able to distinguish the
number.
Ishihara test. The Ishihara test is made up of eight test plates similar
to the A7!*.R.R. pseudoisochromatic test plates. The person being
tested loo)s for numbers made up of various colored dots on each
test plate.
Titmus II 8ision Tester Color &erception test. 9uring this test, a
person loo)s into a stereoscopic machine. The chin rests on a base,
and the image comes on only when the forehead touches a pad on
the top of the unit. :ither a series of plates, or only one plate, can be
used to test for color vision. The one most often used in doctor5s
offices is one that has si( samples on it. 1i( different designs or
numbers are on a blac) bac)ground, framed in a yellow border. ;hile
Titmus II can test one eye at a time, its value is limited because it only
tests for red!green deficiencies and is not highly accurate.
Treatment
There is no treatment or cure for color blindness. 3ost color deficient persons
compensate well for their defect and may even discover instances in which they can
discern details and images that would escape normal2sighted persons.
Prognosis
Color blindness that is hereditary is present in both eyes and remains constant through
time. 1ome cases of acquired color vision loss are not severe and last for only a short
time. 7ther cases tend to be progressive, becoming worse with time.
Prevention
*ereditary color blindness cannot be prevented. In the case of acquired color blindness,
if the cause of the problem is removed, the condition may improve with time. If not,
damage may become permanent.
Terms:
Acuity
Acuity is the clarity or sharpness of vision.
Cone cells
Cone cells are special cells in the retina and are responsible for color vision and fine visual
discrimination.
Retina
The retina is the innermost lining of the eye, containing light sensitive nerve tissue composed of rod and
cone cells.
Stereoscopic
1tereoscopic refers to vision in which things have a three dimensional appearance.
Resources:
BOOS
95Alon4o, T.<. Your Eyes! A Comprehensive Look at the Understanding and Treatment of Vision
Problems Clifton *eights, &A Avanti, .==>.
Newell, 'ran). !phthalmology Prin"iples and Con"epts +oston, 3A 3osby, .==6.
Rosenthal, 7deda, and Robert *. &hillips. Coping #ith Color$%lindness ?arden City &ar), N@ Avery
&ublishing ?roup, .==A.
OR!A"#$AT#O"S
Achromatopsia Networ). C!7 'rances 'utterman, &.7. +o( >.B, +er)eley, CA =BA$.2$>.B.
http!!www.achromat.org!howCtoCDoin.html.
American Academy of 7phthalmology. .%,, 1hattuc) Avenue, +er)eley, CA =BA$.. -"BA/ "B%2.$%=.
http!!www.geocities.com!*eartland!"",,!coloreye.html and http!!www.4ipmall.com!mpm2art2colorbl.html.
National 1ociety to &revent +lindness. %$$ :ast Remington Road, 1chaumburg, I< 6$.A,. -A$"/ "B,2
>$>$ or -"$$/ ,,.2>$>$. http!!www.preventblindness.org.
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual
conditions or treatments. Tal) to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen
to see if it is safe and effective for you.
This health encyclopedia is made possible by the 9r. Eoseph '. 1mith Trust 'und. 9r. 1mith was a
surgeon who resided in ;ausau from .=$" to .=%>. In addition to his surgical practice, 9r. 1mith
possessed a strong commitment to community service and medical education. The agreement which
created the 9r. Eoseph '. 1mith 3edical library was signed in Euly of .=B".
Copyright .===2>$$,. The Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved. 3y9isease9e(-T3/ is a trademar) of 3icromede(, Inc.
3edical <ibrary, ,,, &ine Ridge +lvd. ;ausau, ;I %BB$., &hone A.%2"BA2>."B, 'a(, A.%2"BA2>.",
www.chclibrary.org
Ishihara's test for color deficiency is designed to give a quick and accurate assessment of color
vision. This version of the test should only be used as a screening tool and not replace evaluation by
a professional. If you have concerns about your color vision, you should seek professional advice
regardless of your scoring on this test.
7he test should be performed on each eye, covering one eye at a time enter the number
you see in the circle in the bo& labeled ?@umber?. If you do not see a number in the circle
chec' the bo& labeled ?@one?.
Color-Blindness
Test Image
Enter the
number
you see
Check
box for
none
Color-Blindness
Test Image
Enter the
number
you see
Check
box for
none
Number None Number None
Number None Number None
Number None Number None
Number None Number None
Number None Number
None

Reset

Res!lts
7he first eleven figures are used to determine normality of
color vision--or any defects thereof. 1 correct score of 10
or 11 indicates normal color vision. 1 score of G or less
indicates color vision problems. *cores of only - or ) are
rare and re6uire other testing procedures to pinpoint any
problems. "emember--the tests shown on this web page are
li'ely not accurate because of variation in browser and
monitor treatments. 7hey are included here only to
demonstrate the mechanism of the test and should not be
used for diagnosis.